The Red Hand of Justice
by dkerr
Summary: AU Potter and Weasley are Aurors. Granger's in school. Pansy Parkinson is found dead at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower.


DISCLAIMER - NOT MINE BUT JK'S

The body beneath the tower

She lay beneath the Astronomy Tower, her face pale and sharp, dark eyes staring unseeing at the full moon above.

Hi. My name is Peter Worthington, and I am a Forensic Investigator for the Ministry of Magic. Well Apprentice Forensic Investigator anyway. Last year I was just a Slytherin sixth year. As I was one of those Slytherins who, as Professor Slughorn had put it, done his part during the Final Battle, a grateful Minister had offered me the option of skipping the last year and going directly into Auror Training. An option that I accepted much to the disgust of a certain Weasel who thought I should be kissed along with the rest of the Slytherin Gits. Fortunately, for the peace and quiet of the Auror Department, I decided to specialize the forensics side if the department whiles both Potter and Weasley opted to be run of the mill Aurors. The magical equivalent of beat cops. They were, actually, quite good at it but it had its drawbacks. Like right now.

We had been cooling our heels in the coffee room, both Potter and Weasley ignoring the presence of a Slytherin, when our bosses came in. Some one had taken a swan dive off the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts, and our bosses had thought it was a great idea for us to investigate. Under proper supervision of course.

Both Potter and Weasley were enthused at having an actual case to investigate, even if it was an apparent suicide. Potter did not say much, but you should have heard Weasley's not quite muttered outrage when they were told that not only would I be going along but also as the Forensic Investigator, they would be taking their lead from me. An outrage that turned to grim satisfaction when we arrived at Hogwarts and saw that the victim was Pansy Parkinson.

"Another coward gone," Weasley said with poorly disguised glee. Potter said nothing, just stared down at the body. "Clearly a suicide. She just couldn't take it."

I was not so sure and even if I were, I would have to get closer to the body, so I clambered around the rocks until I could get a good look. Weasley snorted. Clearly, he thought I was wasting my time. If it meant wasting his time too, well that alone made this worthwhile. I knelt down beside the body and pulled my wand.

"Priori Incantantum Revello." Every witch and wizard knew that a priori incantantum used on a wand would show the last few spells that were cast by that spell. Not all knew, though, that priori incantantum revello would reveal the last few spells that were cast on a person or object. Magic left a residue that faded with time, usually six to twelve hours would be enough time for every trace to be gone. I found traces of numerous hexes and spells. Most had faded, but there were strong indications of three hexes being used in short tandem, or one right after the other.

"Priori Incantantum Signat." Every wand has a unique signature. Find the wand and usually you would find the one who cast the hex. How ever the signatures I detected were jumbled. Like more than one wed and had been used. The same was true for each of the three spells I had detected. Wearily I straightened up and glanced up at the tower.

"Well," demanded my superior as I approached. "Was it suicide?"

"No," I shook my head and would have continued if Weasley had not interrupted.

"What do you mean that it wasn't suicide," he growled. "She jumped from the tower like the cowardly rat she was."

"Mr. Weasley," Inspector Dawlish snapped. "That will be quite enough."

"Sir," I said after a red faced Weasley had shut his mouth and Dawlish had turned back to me. "Miss Parkinson was hit by numerous hexes. The most prominant, and the last, being Petrificus Totalis, Finite Incantantum, and Jelly Legs. I looked for wand signatures for all three of those spells, and they were jumbled. I can't say for sure but if I had to guess I'd say that three wands were used to cast each spell."

"Do you have a theory?"

"I do." Weasley scoffed but was ignored. "But I would need to see the Astronomy Tower."

The Astronomy Tower

"Harry!" We had just entered the main entrance to Hogwarts when a brown haired girl exited and all but flew to wrap her arms around his neck. Of course it had to be Hermione Granger, who'd returned to Hogwarts to finish her education, the Head Girl badge gleaming on her robes. She drew back and noticed that Weasley was there with a goofy grin plastered on. I rolled my eyes as the trio went into a group hug. Finally Granger released them as enquired why they were there. "Maybe I can help."

"Parkinson's dead," Weasley grinned. "Finally got what was coming for wanting to turn Harry over to Voldemort."

"Parkinson's dead...

"Yeah, she...,"

A distinctly uncomfortable looking Potter reached out and grabbed Weasley's arm. "We can't discuss this...," He glanced at me nervously.

"Harry what are you on about," Weasley asked. "Sure we can't discuss cases with suspects but this is Mione. There's no way any one could suspect her of anything is there." He glared at me. "There's no way she would have..."

"Mr Weasley," Inspector Dawlish entered room followed closely by a scowling Headmistress McGonigal. "Until Miss Granger has been cleared she, as well as everybody else in this Castle, is a suspect." He turned to me. "Mr. Worthington, I believe that you have an investigation to conduct , on the Astronomy Tower. Mr. Potter will accompany you. Mr. Weasley will be remainiung with me."

"Ron's right you know," Potter said as he followed me up the stairs. "There's no way Hermione would never have done something like this."

"Probably not," I said as we entered the deck. Without saying more, I went over to the section where Pansy must have gone over the edge. I checked to see her body almost directly below before pulling my wand. "Priori Incantantum Revello."

This time I found traces of only two hexes. Finite Incantantum and Jelly Legs. A search for a wand signature revealed the same jumble I'd seen

A working theory

"Do you have a theory," Mr. Worthington. Both Potter and I turned to see Inspector Dawlish, Head Mistress McGonigal, an uncomfortable Granger and an angry Weasley standing just inside the entrance to the tower deck. "I have decided to ntake Miss Granger on as an unofficial consultant."

"Why are you explaining it to him," Granger asked confused.

"He is the lead investigator on this case," Dawlish told her. He turned back to me. "She will be watching you as well, Mr. Worthington. You're lapse in judgment in allowing Potter and Weasley to interact with a possible suspect has not gone unnoticed."

"I trust that I will be given an opportunity to eliminate her as a suspect." Weasley's eyes narrowed and Granger's eyes widened.

"That will not be necessary," said Inspector Dawlish. "I have already cleared her."

"I see." What I saw was that the Inspector had cleared a possible suspect before hearing a working theory. "I will note that in my report."

"No Mr. Worthington you will not."

"Then I will not take the lead investigator role."

"Mr. Worthington," Dawlish snapped. "You will take the position you have been assigned to."

"Inspector. If I am to be the lead investigator then I must be allowed to follow where nthe investigation leads. That includes the right to clear persons of interest. Miss Granger met us at the door, well after the time she, as Head Girl, should have finished her last patrol and she should have returned to Gryffindor Tower. Which is some distance away from the main doors. For that alone she is very much a person of interest. For you to clear her, or anyone else, before I can come up with a working theory is to taint the entire investigation. You may be my supervisor on this case, Inspector, but I will not take responsibility for an

investigation that has been compromised just when it has barely begun."

"He's right," Granger spoke up. "If he's the lead then he has to be the one to clear me. He can question me."

"Very well, Mr. Worthington," Inspector Dawlish stated, with a tone that made it clear that my future with the Ministry depended on the outcome of thus investigation. "You will have your chance to clear Miss. Granger. But you will explain your theory now. I trust that you have one."

I looked at him and knew that it would be the best I could get. So I turned to face them all.

"As you know," I said, "I examined Miss Parkinson's body. I found the residue of three hexes strong enough to be the last ones used on her. They were Petrificus Totalis, Finite Incantantum, and Jelly Legs." I used my wand to illuminate the section of the ledge where I found the magic residue. "This section of the tower ledge shows traces of being hit with the Finite Incantantum and Jelly Legs hexes. Miss Parkinson, some time in the last six hours, was petrified, brought to the tower, stood on the ledge, unpetrified and hit with a Jelly Legs. There would have been no way that Miss Parkinson could have kept her balance, if she were able to achieve it, and the force of the hexes would have driven her over the ledge."

"But that's murder," said a shocked Granger.

"I don't believe that she was murdered."

"But you said..."

"I believe that she was executed."

"I looked for the signature of the wand that cast the hexes. The signature was jumbled which indicates the use of multiple wands. The closest analogy that I can think of is a muggle firing squad. I believe that no less than three people were involved and this method was used so that each of them could deny direct responsibility for her death."

"Deny responsibility?" Granger looked horrified.

"There was a small, but reasonable, chance that Pansy could have fallen forward and onto the deck."

Hermione Granger

"Why couldn't you just accept the fact that nobody cares if another cowardly snake offs herself." Inspector Dawlish and Headmistress McGonigal had shown us to a small lounge that she had made available for our use. They had left us to our own device's and went off to make arrangements for Potter, Weasley, and myself to stay at Hogwarts for the duration of the investigation. Weasley glared at me. "You could have just said it was suicide, which it was, and we could all be home in our warm beds. No, you had to get all Slytherin and..."

"Do my job," I broke in. "Pansy's story deserves to be told Weasley. I'd do the same if it was a Gryffindor."

"She wanted to turn Harry over to Voldemort," Weasley shouted.

"She was scared Weasley," I snapped. "She wanted the war to be over."

"The pugface never even tried to be loyal to Harry. To us."

"In the six years you've known her, what has Harry Saint Potter ever done to earn her trust let alone her loyalty."

"He was the bloody chosen one. The one that was supposed to defeat The Dark Lord."

"Oh and she knew that? Did any of you ever bother to wander over to a Slytherin and tell him that? Because if they had, let me tell you, at least half would have jumped a a chance to get out under his thumb. But no, you sat at your Gryffindor table whispering with yourselves, forming your little Dumbledores Army, excluding them. Why? Because of events they did not do, and had no control over. People go where they are wanted Weasley. You didn't want them Weasley. He did."

"That's enough." Hermione Granger glared at the both of us. "The two of you aren't getting us anywhere. She focused her glare on me. "I believe you had some questions." She stalked over to take a seat across from me."

"I do," I agreed, trying to reign in my temper while Weasley just glared. I will admit though, that I enjoyed that little rant. I took out a notebook, and glanced at Granger. "You understand that my memories of this conversation will be extracted and stored along with my written report?" She nodded.

"I understand that the Heads' last patrol is an hour before midnight, at which time the Professors make the last patrol of the night. Why were you out of bed."

"Don't answer Hermione," Weasley butted in. "It's none of his business..."

"Mr. Weasley," I snapped. "Go out into the hallway and see to it that we are not disturbed."

"You can't..."

"Now Mr. Weasley." My tone confirmed that I could. Weasley just glared death at me and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him."

"I couldn't sleep," Granger said after I returned my attention to her. "So I went down to the kitchen to get some hot milk, and when I was on my way back I happened to look out the window and that's when I saw her, I mean Pansy's body on the rocks. Below the tower that it. I was on my way out to investigate, or at least see if she was still alive."

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and I were there a good few minutes before we entered the Castle. Did you see us.

Granger shook her head. Hogwarts wasn't all that big that she could have seen Parkinson, and given us time to investigate and get to the main doors at the same time. I glanced at her and saw that she was also realizing this. Her cheeks reddened. "I, uh, ran into a couple students, as they were, uh, snogging in a closet."

"I'll need their names." I glanced up from my note book. "They'll need to verify your story also they might have seen something."

"Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas," she said with a blush. "Though I doubt they saw anything."

"May I see your wand?"

"My wand?"

"Yes please, your wand. Please take it ut and hold it out." She did so, and I took out mine.

"Priori Incantantum twenty four." Traces of every spell that she had cast in the last twenty four hours came out, and they were few in number. None of them the ones used on Pansy Parkinson."

"You're cleared Miss Granger." I returned my wand to my pocket. "You may allow Mr. Weasley back in now."

"Okay," I said when Weasley and Granger retturned. Potter was still playing the silent observer role. Which was fine with me. "Tomorrow, I need to talk with Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas."

"My sister," Weasley hopped to his feet. "No way are you going to speak with my sister."

"Weasley, I'm going to recommend that you be removed from this case. You are too emotionally involved. Miss Granger," I turned to face her. "Would you be up to doing a little research for me?"

"What about," she asked.

"I want to know how one wand signature can be separated from another. Three wands were used, and if we can identify them. Mr Potter, we need a time line of Miss Parkinson's movements yesterday. If possible, did she go down any side corridors. Was she followed. Mr. Weasley can assist you if he's up to feeling professional."

The Red Hand of Justice

It was a simple note, written on a scrap of parchment that Granger had found stuck to our door.

"Mind your own business

The Red Hand of Justice"

"About time," some one snorted. Probably Weasley and I couldn't blame him for that. Not really. A lot of the DE Inner Circle were wealthy and a cash starved Ministry seemed only too eager to get their hands on it. Lucius Malfoy was effectively a pauper. He had traded his vast wealth, except for one quarter which was controlled by his son Draco, for having his wand publicly snapped, and house arrest at Malfoy Manor. Many such deals were made, including with the Parkinsons, though they had never been high up in the ranks. But it did give me a thought. Which would have to wait a bit.

I took a piece of parchment from a pocket and fastened it over the note, and pointed my wand over it. "Priori Incantantum Signat Locatum." We watched as a map drew itself on the covering parchment. It showed the Great Hall, with the Head Table, and the four House Tables. Thee was a small 'x' towards the head of the left most table. Gryffindor. There was a small gasp from Granger as if she couldn't fathom that any of her house could be part of this. Potter and Weasley said nothing, just stood staring. Well, in Weasley's case, glowering. But he had promised to be professional and so I had delayed requesting to have him re-assigned. "Time for breakfast," I said chirpily as I sealed the note and the map in plastic envelopes.

We were assigned seats at the foot of the Slytherin table as that was the least occupied. As we entered we attracted the attention of a lot of the studedents. I ignored the all and glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Ginny Weasley, Dean Thomas, Dennis Creevey, and a few unknowns were sitting at the head end of the table. Granger started over there, but stopped when I touched her arm. "Don't say anything to them. Not yet anyway." Sge nodded and continued on her way.

Weasley was disgruntled by having to sit at the Slytherin table, but that was soon forgotten, or set aside, as he started to inhale his breakfast. Potter ate more sedately. I waited until they were finished before speaking.

"Weasley, as soon as you can move that ton of food you just ate, I want you to return to the Ministry." He started to object but I continued. "You are to go to the Department of Records and see if Pansy registered a will. See who gets what and if they have any friends or relatives here. Potter, I want you to nose around, see what you can find out about this Red Hand of Justice..."

"And what will you be doing," Weasley sneered.

"Interviewing staff and students."

Dennis Creevey

"I don't have to talk to you," the boy said almost as soon as he sat down. "They said you weren't a real Auror" Creevey was the third student that morning."

"Who said I wasn't a real Auror," I asked while doodling on some scrap parchment.

"The Re..." Creevey clammed up fast, realizing that he was about to give something away.

"The Red Hand of Justice," I asked taking care to keep doodling while paying close attention to Dennis Creevey. "want to tell me bout them?"

"They killed my brother," Dennis said defiantly. "The Hand is making them pay."

"Was it Miss Parkinson who killed your brother," I asked while adding his name to the Person of Interest list. They would be interviewed later by real Aurors.

"Doesn't matter. She was one of them."

Ginny Weasley

"She deserved what she got." Ginny's face was as red as her hair. "She wanted to turn Harry over to Voldemort."

"Did she now," I observed the girl out of the corner of my eye. "Did she, in fact, turn Harry over to Voldemort."

"No. We wouldn't let her."

"I see." I decided to change the subject. "I understand you were out of bed past curfew last night. Want to tell me about that?"

"No." She flushed and glared at me as I wrote her name down. "What are you doing," she demanded. "That's not the cleared list."

"You can read upside down," I commented as I blotted the ink. "And you are correct, this isn't the cleared list. You have proven yourself to be unwilling to cooperate, and so you and your parents will be called to the Ministry where you will be questioned again.

Dennis Creevey's Tongue

"Ill get to the library this afternoon," Granger promised as we walked back to our rooms for a working lunch. Weasley had just returned from the Ministry and Potter had joined us just as we were passing the Great Hall. "I really had to..." Granger stopped mid speech as she gaped wide eyed at the door to our room.

"Oh F**k," was my startled reaction to what she had seen. Nailed almost dead center was what first looked like was a piece of meat. I think almost instinctively we all knew that it was a tongue. Below it was a note

"They Shall Not Talk

The Red Hand of Justice"

I broke the stunned silence by pulling my wand and performing a few spells. Confirming that it was what we thought it was. It had been fastened to the door recently, and had belonged to Dennis Creevey. "Granger," I snapped jostling her, and thus Potter and weasley, back to life. "Go get a Professor, then the Headmistress and Inspector Dawlish. They'd be in her office going over my morning reports. I'll stand guard here, Potter Weasley, you start a search for Creevey. This is still fresh. He might still be alive."

Fortunately Dennis Creevey was found barely conscious but alive.

"I insist that you get a team of Licensed Auror," a furious Headmistress McGonigal.

"I quite agree," Inspector Dawlish said. For a moment I was actually happy that a more experienced Investigator was going to take over. The moment passed when he continued. "Unfortunately, there has been an upsurge in residual Death Eater activity. He turned to face McGonigal. "It was your idea," I believe, to have each team headed by a Forensic Investigator." A thumb jerked over a shoulder at me. "At the moment he's the best one available." Inspector Dawlish spun to face me. "Don't screw up."

I took a deep breath. What I was about to say was not going to go down well. The wand that stuck Mr. Creevey's tongue to the door was registered to Ginevra Weasley."

Ginny Weasley part two

"I won't have him questioning Ginny." As according to protocol, no Hogwarts student could be questioned without a parent on hand. The Headmistress had sent urgent owls to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "He's only an apprentice."

"Mrs. Weasley," Inspector Dawlish snapped. "A girl has been killed and a boy mutilated. Mr. Worthington is the Lead Forensic Investigator on this case and has my complete confidence." His tone told me that I had better not blow it. "The only reason you are here is that she's being questioned on Hogwarts property. But she is of age and I would be in my rights to take her down to the Mimistry where she will answer Mr. Worthington's questions with out you being there." Mrs. Weasley snapped her mouth shut, but her face made it clear that Mr. Shacklebolt, the temporary Minister, would be hearing from her. Inspector Dawlish turned to me. "Mr. Potter bring her in. Mr. Worthington."

Miss Weasley was a little more nervous as she came in for questioning a second time, but her eyes widened when she saw who was present. Her eyes sought me out.

"Miss Weasley, this morning, you Mr. Creevey and Miss Bones came together."

"Yes."

"Mr, Creevey was the first brought in for a preliminary conversation with me?"

"You know he was."

"You were there when he left the room I was in."

"I was. What are you getting at?"

"Did Mr. Creevey tell you what our conversation was about. What I asked, what his answers were."

"No," Miss Weasley's answer was firm but I detected a moment's hesitation.

"When we talked this morning, you would not allow me to test your wand?"

"You had no right," she said defiantly. "Your not a licensed Auror. I know my rights."

"Did you lend your wand to anyone this morning, or leave it where someone might take it?"

"No."

"Did Susan Bones, or any other, have an opportunity to acquire you wand this morning?"

"Didn't I just say no."

"Therefore, you had no reason to believe that the wand that you had in your possession was not your own?"

"It was my wand."

"You are certain of that"

Giny sighed. "Yes."

"Dennis Creevey's tongue was fastened to my door using your wand."

Miss Weasley stared at me, opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

"Miss Weasley. May I see your wand."

Moving slowly she pulled it out of her pocket and laid it on the table. I pointed my wand at it.

"Priori Incantantum forty eight." This wand had not been used to fastem Mr Creevey's tongue to my door. But within the last forty eight hours, it had been used to cast Petrificus Totalis, Finite Incantantum, and Jelly Legs.

"Wandus Registrat Revellum." The wand belonged to Susan Bones."

Susan Bones part 2

Susan Bones sat in the chair glaring around the room defiantly. She knew that she"d been caught and she was too proud to try and weasel her way out of it. I had to admire her for that if for nothing else. "The Red Hand of Justice," I said. "Was that your idea?"

Susan Bones shrugged. "So what if it was?"

"Then you are responsible for murdering a girl..."

"Executing a Death Eater," Susan corrected.

"Mutilating a boy..."

"Silencing a squealer."

"There was never any evidence that Pansy Parkinson was ever anything more than a scared little girl trying to cope as best she could."

"Her parents were Death Eaters." Susan shrugged. "I couldn't very well get to them now could I? Besides, apples don't fall far from the tree."

I studied her and she smirked back at me. And then she leaned forward. "Most of my family were killed by Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy killed my Grandmother. Slowly. Painfully, And where is he now. Sitting nice and comfortable in Malfoy Manor. Know where he should be, he and that scum of a family of his?. They should be in Azkaban being kissed. But they're not and it's all because the Ministry wanted their money.

They should have just taken it," Susan spat out. "And Kissed them anyway. They could still do it but no that wouldn't be honourable." She barked a laugh. "Honourable my ass. They just wanted the money." Susan stared at me. "If they'd done their job then we wouldn't have had to do it for them."

"Who's we?"

Susan Bones clammed up as tight as a drum. She said nothing from then on. Until finally Inspector Dawlish had had enough. "He ordered Potter and Weasley to take Susan to the Ministry. They were just out the door when I decided to make one last try.

"Give us the names Susan. It doesn't have to be The Kiss."

Susan Bones smiled at me. "If that is to be my fate then I shall welcome it with my head held high and a smile on my lips."

Aftermath

Susan Bones was sentenced to the Kiss. Harry Potter spoke out for her, citing her war record. He agreed that Susan Bones needed to be punished, but felt the Kiss was too extreme. Her family had been destroyed by group of people she had lashed out at. Weasley spoke also in her defense, though that was to be expected. I put in a few words as well. Not that I felt the punishment too harsh. But because they were too hasty. Justice needed to be seen to be done and done right. But the Ministry wanted a quick end.

Three days after her last appeal, six months after her arrest, Potter, Weasley, Granger, and I were seated in a sparsely furnished, grey room in the basements of Azkaban. Hardly more than a cave. A magic shield ran down the middle. On one side was a single chair, with straps to hold the prisoner and on the other side, chairs for the witnesses. Not that there were many. Just the Golden Trio and myself.

A door opened and Susan Bones was led into the room, by three guards. She strode confidently to the chair and sat, placing her arms and legs so they could be easily fastened in place, though her mien gave every indication that they would not be needed. Susan caught my eye as the Dementor was allowed into the room and smiled.

Just as the Dementor leaned down towards Susan Bones, I felt a slight tingle on the arm of my chair. Distracted I found a parchment there. I glanced up at her, and Susan's eyes indicated that I should read the note.

"Our work is not yet done

The Red Hand of Justice."


End file.
